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Sunday, June 22, 2014

George Will dissed women in offensive rape column, then insulted St. Louis Post-Dispatch for dropping him: 'They know how to propitiate the rabble'

Here's what Tony Messenger, the Editorial Page Editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch told his readers about replacing George Will with Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson:

We believe that Mr. Gerson’s commitment to “compassionate
conservatism” and his roots in St. Louis will better connect with our
readers, regardless of their political bent. The change has been
under consideration for several months, but a column published June 5,
in which Mr. Will suggested that sexual assault victims on college
campuses enjoy a privileged status, made the decision easier. The column
was offensive and inaccurate; we apologize for publishing it. We
have heard from both conservative and liberal readers asking for new
conservative voices. We believe Mr. Gerson’s addition to our op-ed page
will be a refreshing and revitalizing change.

Your column reiterates ancient beliefs about sexual assault
that are inconsistent with the reality of victims' experiences, based on
what we have heard directly from survivors. Your words contribute to
the exact culture that discourages reporting and forces victims into
hiding and away from much-needed services. For starters, your notion
about a perceived privileged status of survivors of sexual assault on
campuses runs completely counter to the experiences described to us.

On C-SPAN, Will retaliated against the Post-Dispatch, saying “They know how to propitiate the rabble.”
The Chicago Tribunerefused to run Will's piece, calling it “misguided and insensitive.”

Maynard (Bob "Gilligan's Island" Denver) slyly flashes a nipple to the CBS eye while trying to talk his best buddy Dobie Gillis (Dwayne Hick­man) into taking off all his clothes. Whoever said 1950s television was a vast waste­land obviously didn't know where to look.